So let’s face it, a lot of us, Egyptians, have curly hair. Some of us have soft curls, others have dry curls, but in general, curls are dominant, and sometimes we do our best to hide them, from brushing our little girls’ hair and making sure it’s as neat as a pin, to permanently straining our own curls.

What we should be doing really is letting those curls loose. Let them loose, let our Egyptian genes take over our looks, be proud, be accepting, see the beauty of curly hair and embrace it, raise confident daughters, stand up for them.

When they hear negative comments about their curly hair, teach them how to not let it get to them, to not care much about what other people think. As a mother of a little girl, who – not like me – has locks of curly hair dangling freely and effortlessly, she loves her curls, for now. We get a couple of comments on “why she didn’t get her Momma’s hair” but we let them pass, for now, but later in life, when she understands, how will these comments affect her?

I’m raising a child that won’t be affected by what other people think of her.

I’m doing this by letting her know, that even her momma has no right to judge how she chooses to look, guide her maybe, but commenting negatively on her looks? Never!”

We live in a complex diverse society, our differences are as many as our similarities, and it’s our job to raise kids who cherish the similarities and accept the differences, comments on looks has to stop, but how do we control what others say? We can’t. We can only control what comes out of our own mouths, so let’s start by not commenting on how children look, for a change, and for a fresh start, in order to raise a confident generation, in case we want a brighter future for our country. My daughter is starting school this year, and for the next 14 years of her life, I hope she wakes up every day, confident enough to let those curls loose.

Luli Akram is a blogger and a mother who is on a mission to help moms feel less lonely and more empowered. Documenting the daily experiences of being a mother in Egypt through her blog egyptianmomma.com.